DreamWorks Animation has shared the first look at Forgotten Island, an original feature that trades the studio’s usual fairy-tale parodies for a lush, atmospheric journey into Philippine mythology. Directed by the duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the film follows two lifelong friends, Jo and Raissa, as they spend their final night together before adulthood pulls them in different directions.
Their evening of karaoke and snacks takes a turn when they stumble through a portal to Nakali, a realm where the creatures of Filipino bedtime stories—monsters, shapeshifters, and ancient spirits—are entirely real. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on September 25.
A World of Memory and Neon
The production marks a significant departure in visual style, even for a studio that has recently embraced more experimental aesthetics. Forgotten Island pairs traditional computer-generated depth with painterly, hand-drawn textures. The palette is a specific nod to the nineteen-nineties: a world of vibrant neons and the soft, imperfect grain of Polaroid photography.
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The choice of the decade was a deliberate one for the directors. By setting the story before the era of smartphones and instant connectivity, they aimed to raise the emotional stakes of a friendship in transition. When a friend moves away in this world, there is no FaceTime to bridge the gap; there are only memories and physical photographs.
For the cast, the project is a rare opportunity to see their heritage treated with the scale of a major studio blockbuster. H.E.R., the Grammy and Oscar-winning musician making her voice-acting debut as Jo, noted that the script mirrored the stories her mother used to tell her as a child. “I get to share a piece of my childhood in this work and with the world,” she said during a recent presentation at DreamWorks headquarters.
Liza Soberano, who voices Raissa, spoke about the power of seeing the Philippine sun—a central national symbol—used as a key element in the film’s fantasy world. “I literally cried because I was just imagining all the children in the Philippines and what they would feel when they see it,” she said.
The Cost of Home
The plot involves a high-stakes quest to defeat the Manananggal, a terrifying figure from folklore voiced by Lea Salonga. However, the true tension is internal. To leave the island and return to their normal lives, Jo and Raissa must face a devastating choice: the price of their passage home may be the very memories of their friendship.
The supporting cast includes a wide array of talent, such as Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, Ronny Chieng, and Dave Franco, who plays a comedic weredog named Raww. The film also promises a soundtrack heavy on late-eighties and early-nineties hits, further anchoring its themes of nostalgia.
